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Moral obligations when leaving a startup?

Currently working as a senior software engineer (Not really senior in actuality, questioned company’s job title semantics) in a geoservice/ data startup in SE Asia. Been offered a fantastic local position by a friend in a newly-starting creative consultancy. This would be at least 100% rise in salary and various other benefits, including access to funding for my own project(s).

The problem is, that during one point of my employment I promised to stay with the company for a year in exchange for an “emergency raise” of around 30% (lost accomodation, had to find a new place to live and adjust expenses). This will be in 4 months from now, but that’s a bit too long for both the consultancy and myself.

I am the highest earning non-managing staff in the office at the moment (quite under $2k per month), and the only one that knows our software/ infrastructure in and out, so I think explaining my reasoning for resignation will be difficult.

Of course the reason of quitting is not just better salary- I have yet to sign an actual employment contract, and because of that I accumulated quite a bit of tax debt in my home country, as well as opened possibilities for visa issues in the near future. The working environment is very strange. I work under a mid-20s CTO, who manages our office remotely (we are not allowed to work outside the office, even though we use our own machines and it would be exact same thing from my college perspectives) by requiring us to send daily reports on tasks done, as well as daily video call, where we just read out our reports in list. His english is mediocre at best, so there’s a lot of ambiguity and frustration when discussing anything beyond very basic stuff. This also adds to the fact that he makes the design calls, thus writes out the tasks similar to coding tutorials- add column to that table, make this view show that and so on. Those often turn out wrong, since he doesn’t actually code much, and I end up having long streaks of discussions with him before he updates the issue specification and I start working. This and many other issues.

Although I don’t have a contract, they stated that all “senior” and management roles need to give 6 months advance notice for quitting. The most I can give is 3, and even then it is way too long.

The question is, how do communicate all of this effectively? Should I offer them a rate as a contractor after I leave?

  • Since you don’t have any signed contract, your are not legally obliged to anything. Did you sign something when they offered you that “emergency raise”? If not, then make sure that you following the applicable laws in your country/state/province in term of resignation … if any.

    That being said, it seems like a toxic environment and you should leave because it will destroy you mentally. Good technical leaders may provide a direction for the design but should leave, based on the employee technical skills, some levels of liberty on how it is implemented, especially for a senior developer.

    It looks like you are someone with a strong moral compass and it always pays to part in good terms. So, offering to support them via consultancy is a good idea. Just make sure that you limit the weekly number of hours to something that you can manage while working in your new job. You could also offer them a preferred rate for the first x months so that you can help someone get more familiar with the infrastructure.

    Don’t miss your new opportunity.

    Reply

    • OP here, thanks for taking time and reading!

      Yes, it essentially boils down to that- it’s not the environment I feel I can grow in- by no means they are bad people, just from a professional standpoint, I don’t have the energy to waste on discussing basic issues with management, when there are already quite a few communication issues internally.

      Regarding offering consulting services, I would only do advisory/mentor kind of work, and at most full-time. I intend to ask them how much leave notice they want from me, and if it’s reasonable, I will give them a reasonable consulting fee too.

      Reply

  • Leave and never look back. Don’t be loyal to a company that isn’t loyal to you.

    Give 2 weeks notice as a courtesy, nothing more. Be professional, but don’t be a sucker. Don’t stay even if they offer to double your salary. Absolutely don’t offer them a rate as a contractor. You’re going to want to put all your energy in your new venture.

    It’s the responsibility of every company to plan for the departure or sickness of any employee. If they don’t have any contingency plans, that’s on them.

    Reply

    • OP here. I hope my post didn’t come off like I hate them- just wanted to give some objective reasoning from my side.

      This is certainly an option if anything goes south, otherwise for me there’s not much gain for me pushing my own rules (even if they’re not on paper). I still get a chance to be involved in the consultancy in my spare time while I wait.

      About not giving them a rate, that was my concern as well. Ideally, that’d be somewhat of a software architecture consulting, instead of do-this and do-that. Giving some hours per week for that would be fine, but I’m still thinking if it’s worth trying.

      Thanks for the advice!

      Reply

  • Leave and don’t look back. Give them an standard notice (your country has laws about it). Nobody is looking for your best interest, only you. It is their problem to replace you.

    Reply
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